3 Ways to Boost Body Confidence in Less Than 10 Minutes a Day

When I speak with women about their relationship with their bodies, I oftentimes find that they’re looking for some mind-blowing, secret affirmation or ritual that will spark an epiphany and they suddenly love every inch of their body. If that’s out there, please let me know. From my experience, it’s the little things that add up. It’s fleeting moments of peace and gratitude that slowly but surely well up into an overflowing pool of love to draw from. Small and consistent acts of service to yourself over time are going to be more effective than trying to do everything all at once and quitting after a few days. Below are my three favorite tools you can use to improve your body confidence that take less than 10 minutes a day to implement.

1. 3-Point Gratitude Journal

I make just about all my clients do this one because it’s a biggie. Gratitude is the best antidote for a struggling body image. Every morning or evening, jot down three things you’re grateful for. The only catch is that one must be related to your physical form while the other two can be anything you want. Make sure you’re truly grateful for the one about your body. If you don’t love the dimples on your backside, lying to yourself about them won’t help (there are other more effective ways to make peace). Choose something that you are truly grateful for, like the length or your eyelashes or the strength of your legs. Keep it simple by using a note in your phone or a journal next to your bed.

2. Media Detox

What you consume through your ears and eyes is just as important as what you put in your mouth. Just like your food becomes your skin, muscles, and bones, what you listen to and watch becomes your thoughts and beliefs. This means we need to be conscious of what we’re consuming through social media, blogs, tv, movies, podcasts, books, magazines, etc. If accounts you are following make you feel less than enough, it’s time to unfollow. If the podcast you’re listening to is constantly promoting fat loss, weight loss and dieting, it’s time to unsubscribe. If the magazine you’re flipping through only promotes one standard of beauty, it’s time to rip it to shreds. Or just put it down. You get the point. Take two minutes the next time you’re on Instagram to crowd out those negative messages with body positive, soulful content that lift you up and inspires you without the guilt or shame.

3. Morning or evening routine

The idea of having a morning routine used to really stress me out. I thought if I wasn’t meditating for 30 minutes, stretching for 20 minutes, and making my own green juice daily then I was failing. Then I realized a morning routine is so much less about what you’re doing and way more about the act of taking a moment to care for yourself day after day. This could literally be just drinking a big glass of water when you get out of bed. Every time you treat yourself with kindness and respect you are reaffirming the idea that you are worthy of love regardless of the size of your thighs. Guess what else? Your morning routine doesn’t even have to be in the morning. If evenings work for you – do that! Again, keep it simple. Apply your favorite luxurious chap stick, lather a hair mask on, take three deep breaths. Whatever it is, do it with intention and do it daily.

Let me know if any of these work for you, or if you have your own strategies for building up your body love in the comments below.